Water-wheel.



No. 629,250. Pafanted July "3,1399.

P. HENRETTY.

WATER WHEEL.

(Application filed Oct. 29, 1897.;

(No Mudel.)

I'N VE/V 70/? WITNESSES m: NORRIS PETERS 00.. PHoTo-umm, wmmmou. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATE T O FICE.

PATRICK HENR-ETTXQ OF BELGRADE, MINNESOTA,

W ATER- WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent na'eaaeso, dated July 18, 1899.

Application and October 29,1897. Serial message. on model.)

To all whom itmcty concern.

Be it known that I, PATRICK HENRETTY, of Belgrade township, in the county of Nicollet and State of Minnesota, have invented anew and Improved \Vater-YVheel, of which thefola lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to water-motors actuated by water-currents in streams, rivers, and the like; and the object of the invention is to provide a new and improved water-wheel which is simple and durable in construction, not liable to get out'of order, and arrangedto utilizethe water-power to the fullest advantage. The invention view of part of the upper run of the buckets with parts broken out, and Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 33of Fig. 2. 1 i

The improved water-wheel is mounted on a suitably-constructed frame A, in which are journaled the end sprocket-wheels B B and intermediate wheels B each having in its periphery notches or recesses B for engage ment bypulleys or rollers 0, carried on trans-,

verse shafts D, forming the pivots for the links of chains E, placed a suitable distance apart to provide room between the chains 'E for the buckets F; The links of the chains 'E are outside of the rollers or pulleys O, and

consequently outside of the Wheels B B 13 so that only the rollers come in contact with the wheels and the friction encountered is very little. Each of the buckets F is made V-shaped and carries at its apex forked eyes consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will formed at'its outer end at the month of the ibucket with an eye'Ff similar'to the eye F :and engaging thecorresponding shaftvD. Now by the arrangement described the buckets are hung on adjacent shafts D, which form a connection between the two parallel chains E and also form the pivots for the links of the said chains. Thus the buckets are properly suspended between the chains E on the said shafts and with the strain central through the buckets, as a horizontal plane passing through the middle of the buckets also passes through the axis of the two adjacent shafts D. On each of the shafts D are held sleeves or washers G, between adjacent eyes F','as is plainly indicated in Fig. 2. Now when the wheel is placed in the current of a stream, river, or the like, with the lower runs of the buckets and chains submerged in the water, then the current flowing in the direction of the arrow at causes the water to pass into the open ends of the V- shaped buckets to cause the latter to travel in the direction of the arrowa. As the chains travel around the wheels B B their pulleys O rotate the said wheels, and power can be taken from the said'wheels or their shafts by suitable pulleys, belts, or the like;

Now it will be seen that by the arrangement described the strain on the buckets is in alinement with the links of'the chains E, so that the device is not liable to get out of order,

and as only the pulleys move in engagement or contact with the wheels 13 B B it is evident that but little friction is encountered,-

and-consequently a proper transmission of mittcd to other machinery.

It will be understood that owing to the cen tral location of the shafts or pivots D rela tively to the buckets F, said shafts being thus arranged in the plane which bisects the angle of the bucket, the driving strain will be exactly in the line connecting the said shafts or pivots and all lateral strain and consequent loss of power will be avoided. Further, by making the buckets with longitudinal partitions and connecting said partitions pivotally to the shafts D, I secure a better support and connection for the said parts and am enabled to make the buckets of a very large size.

Having thus fully described my invention,

Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A bucket chain for Water-wheels, comprising a series of links and shafts connecting them, rollers mounted upon the shafts adjacent to the links, and flaring buckets arranged between the rollers, the open end of each bucket facing the closed end or angle of the adjacent bucket, each bucket having at its closed end an eye engaging one of said shafts, and being provided with a partition in a plane perpendicular to such shaft, said partition carrying in front of the open end of the bucket, and in the plane which bisects the angle of the bucket, an eye engaging the same shaft which passes through the eye at the closed end of the adjacent bucket.

2. The improved water-wheel herein described comprising pulleys provided at intervals with peripheral sockets, and the bucket chain consistingpf a series of flaring buckets equally flared on both sides of a central line and provided at the juncture of such flared sides with eyes, the shaft passed through the overlapping eyes of the adjoining buckets and extending beyond the sides of the buckets and provided alongside of the buckets with rollers operating in the sockets of the pulleys, the shafts being extended laterally beyond the said rollers, and the links connecting the adjacent shafts outside the said rollers all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

PATRICK HENRETTY. WVitnesses:

HENRY LEONARD, JOSEPH MASBERG. 

